[kde-linux] Sidux uses Kubuntu KDE version for desktop

[denis]

Hi all 
I tried Steven's suggestion but must have got it wrong, I made another $HOME 
directory and tried transferring the home over but system wouldn't let me 
login. Perhaps I misunderstood and should have added a new user that I could 
unpack the Kubuntu home into, and then transfer across the home files one by 
one. But if it managed to mess up the Desktop at some point could I back out 
without having to start over again?
Anyway, it looked impossible so I started over again.  I've with a new Sidux 
install on one disk that I want to hold the home data files from a tarred 
Kubuntu home directory on another disk.
Somehow, the created mess has properties of it's own. which are neither 
Kubuntu or Sidux. 
 The point before it does the Kubuntu desktop, there's a prompt for something 
about using KDE3 setting being used in KDE4, and as soon as i agreed, the 
desktop wallpaper went blue.
I think I'll try Duncan's suggestion next and drill down deep into the bowels 
of the home directory, There must be something in the Kubuntu home data files 
that is corrupting Sidux KDE setup. I deleted everything having to do with KDE 
that I could find before I tarred the home directory, and it apperared all that 
was remaining was program data files, but somehow it's still managed to affect 
the Sidux KDE.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
cheers
Denis



On Monday 15 March 2010 17:26:00 Duncan wrote:
> denis posted on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:24:36 -0700 as excerpted:
> > yep you're correct, I reloaded the home from Kubuntu into Sidux. I will
> > copy all the important stuff into a new home directory as you suggest. I
> > tried that already yesterday and copied what I thought was only program
> > data files over into a separate directory which I then tarred and copied
> > to a separate disk. Then I wiped the Sidux disk with Dban, reinstalled
> > Sidux, unpacked the home directory and when prompted to use the KDE3
> > settings for KDE4 the screen went to the kubuntu desktop again. What a
> > mess.
> 
> Well, the desktop (activity) wallpaper's definitely a per-user (and per
> activity and/or desktop) setting.  So it'd logically be stored in plasma's
> application settings.  KDE stores application settings in two places,
> depending on whether the app uses only one or two config files
> ($KDEHOME/share/config) or an entire subdir of files
> ($KDEHOME/share/apps/<application>).  $KDEHOME defaults as shipped by kde
> to $HOME/.kde (where $HOME is the user's home dir), tho various
> distributions change the .kde slightly, to .kde4 or the like.
> 
> Can you take note of the setting when using the default sidux install, and
> put the same selection back in after you restore your user settings?  For
> kde 4.4.x, look under Desktop Activity Settings, Wallpaper.  But it looks
> like it may not list enough info about it (the path info) in ordered to be
> able to reselect it, if it's not in the default location.  (I'm using
> wallpapers in the default location, so I don't know how it shows others.)
> 
> Meanwhile, back to the config files.  FWIW, in KDE they're all generally
> human readable (and editable) text files.  I just checked the apps dir.
> The only plasma related subdirs there seem to be plasmoid related.  So it
> looks to be in the config dir.  I actually see about a half-dozen plasma*
> config files there.  Now, which one of those?
> 
> Found it!
> 
> Look in $KDEHOME/share/config/plasma-desktop-appletsrc .  It's a slightly
> modified *.ini file format, sections denoted with [] (slightly modified as
> multiple [] labels define a section), followed by keyword=value pairs.
> 
> However, as you're just upgrading, you'll likely not have a whole lot
> customized, and can simply rename or delete the entire file (as usual,
> recommend rename/move until you know you're not losing other settings you
> want to keep, then delete).  Note that it's best to do so while kde or at
> least plasma-desktop is shut down.  So do it either from a text console,
> no kde running, or enter killall plasma-desktop (or
> kquitapp plasma-desktop if you prefer the kde method) in a konsole window
> or krunner, then do the file rename/delete, then restart plasma-desktop
> using krunner or whatever.
> 
> If it turns out that there are other settings there that you want to keep,
> just check the GUI settings for the name of the currently selected
> wallpaper, do a search for it in that file to get the correct section
> (which looks like [Containments][<number>][Wallpaper][image] , here, I
> have two such sections as I've two activities setup).  The key should be
> Wallpaper= , with a value similar to </path/to/wallpaper/> , something
> like /usr/share/wallpapers/<name>/ for the system defaults.  Note that
> kde4 uses individual wallpaper subdirs by default now, with each one
> containing a collection of images in different resolutions, so an
> appropriate one can be chosen.  If you download additional wallpapers from
> kde-look using the kde kgetnewstuff gui, those will likely be wallpaper
> packs as well, but they'd be stored in $KDEHOME/share/wallpapers instead
> of the system dir.  Of course, individual images can be chosen as well,
> and that's likely what you'll have there with settings imported from kde3.
> 
> As with the above file rename, I'd suggest editing this file with kde or
> at least plasma-desktop shut down, again using krunner or konsole to do
> the shutdown and restart before and after your editing.
>